The invention relates to a denture adhesive sheet custom cutting system. More particularly, the invention relates to a system which allows a user to easily custom cut untrimmed denture adhesive sheets.
Millions of Americans wear dentures. As natural dental structures exceed their useful life, “dentures” are fabricated to act as a prosthetic replacement. Dentures are typically held in place using a variety of adhesives. Traditional adhesives are provided in powder, gel, and paste form which adheres the upper ridge of the dentures within the mouth. However, such gels are undesirable, in that they are messy, are typically applied by the user unevenly with unpredictable results, and frequently dilute rapidly in saliva to create an uneven seal.
An improved adhesive has been provided in recent years in the form of a paper-like sheet or wafer, generally under the trademark SEA-BOND, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,116 to Lapidus. The sheet is made of thermally laminated fabrics having an adhesive which is ordinarily non-sticky, but is activated by fluids within the mouth to provide adhesive qualities and to expand and fill crevices. In the case of lower dentures, the sheet is provided in a “boomerang” shape, which follows and is meant to fit within the ridge recess created at the top of the prosthesis (opposite from the prosthetic teeth). The ridge recess follows the contours of the denture, slightly within the overall outline thereof. The sheet is inserted into the ridge, and the denture is adhered to oral mucosa at the lower jaw. However, as dental anatomy will differ from patient to patient, one size does not necessarily fit all users. Accordingly, wearers/users are encouraged to trim the sheet using a pair of scissors, until the sheet fits neatly within the ridge recess of the dentures.
Generally dentures are removed for cleaning daily, and thus must be reinserted each morning. Accordingly, the operation of trimming the adhesive sheet also becomes a daily operation. Unfortunately, most denture wearers tend to be advanced in age, and thus are likely to have limited dexterity. Accordingly, the operation of trimming the adhesive sheet can be difficult, if not impossible for many denture wearers.